The White House Walk-And-Talk That Changed Obama's Mind On Syria - MSNBC

[WillyT]

The White House Walk-And-Talk That Changed Obama's Mind On Syria
By Chuck Todd, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent
8/31/13

<snip>

A stroll around the White House grounds with his top adviser on Friday evening changed President Barack Obama’s mind about getting Congress to sign off on a military strike in Syria, senior White House officials told NBC News.

Obama had been leaning toward attacking Syria without a congressional vote for the past week, the officials said. Obama was convinced he had the evidence to back up a strike and as a result dispatched Secretary of State John Kerry to make a passionate case for U.S. action. But only hours after Kerry called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "a thug and a murderer" and accused his regime of using chemical weapons to kill 1,429 people, Obama changed his mind as he walked across the South Lawn with Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, the officials said.

Returning from that walk, the president called his advisers in the early evening to inform them of his new decision. The plan was immediately met with robust resistance from a whiplashed Obama team who had listened to Kerry lay out the administration's strongest case yet for action against Assad. "My friends, it matters here if nothing is done," Kerry had argued. "It matters if the world speaks out in condemnation and then nothing happens."

Obama's National Security Council had believed since last weekend that requiring a vote was not even on the table and that “consultation” in the form of congressional briefings and behind-the-scenes conversation was all that would be needed before a strike. One senior official noted that no key leaders in Congress had specifically requested a vote on military intervention.

Officials said that after the president met with national security advisers on Aug. 24, they determined the evidence showed Syria’s Assad regime had used chemical weapons in an attack earlier this month. At that time, the president indicated he was leaning toward a strike.
But a growing number of Congressional members were beginning to question the administration’s strategy by the end of the week. And an NBC News poll released Friday morning showed that nearly 80 percent of Americans agreed that the president should seek approval in advance of taking military action.

Officials said Obama also was influenced by Thursday’s lively debate in the House of Commons, where Prime Minister David Cameron lost a vote in Parliament to authorize participation in an allied strike against Syria. Cameron had been a staunch advocate of military action but was chastened in the wake of the vote. “It is clear to me that the British Parliament, reflecting the views of the British people, does not want to see British military action,” Cameron said. “I get that, and the government will act accordingly.”

While Obama's advisers argued Friday night in private...

<snip>

More: http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/31/20273128-the-white-house-walk-and-talk-that-changed-obamas-mind-on-syria?lite

[JimDandy]

1. K n R for an interesting fact to add to the historical record.

[Hydra]

2. Make the noise- sometimes the people up top DO hear it! n/t

[geek tragedy]

3. This:

While Obama's advisers argued Friday night in private that the humiliating defeat for Cameron starkly illustrated the risks of asking for congressional input, the president responded that the vote in Parliament demonstrated exactly why he should seek a vote on this side of the Atlantic, senior officials told NBC News.
And, the president insisted, seeking legislative backing was the approach most consistent with his philosophy. While debate within the administration continued into late Friday, by Saturday morning the senior advisers acquiesced.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

4. Now that this is done,

I also strongly believe nothing should happen until they get back when they were supposed to: on Sept 9. Calls to come back earlier than that should be resisted. Let everyone have some time to consider and get every last bit of info they need. Give the windbags (Graham/McCain and whoever follows those two) time to bloviate to their hearts and mouths' content. Give the people time to write/call their Reps.
This might finally be the time we get to reverse 60 years of imperial Presidential rule, and get back to making sure any act of war has to be approved by Congress. Regardless of how this turns out, the important thing - to me, anyway - is to get back to a point where whoever's the President doesn't feel like he can just lob missiles at whoever he feels like whenever he feels like.

[gopiscrap]

8. God I hope so

[dixiegrrrrl]

33. This just in:

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Menendez: Committee will take up Syria authorization measure Tuesday; use of force justified -

Breaking News just now.

Sounds like the Committee Chairman at least has made up his mind.

[indepat]

5. If only TPTB were as passionate about punishing war criminals and banksters as they were about

punishing Assad, the country, if not the world, would be a better place. To say someone must be punished for doing evil rings hollow when so many homegrown evildoers remain unpunished. Maybe just a tad disingenuous? Besides, military action would likely kill and maim skedaddles of innocent women, children, the elderly, and the infirmed, a crime of some magnitude if Nuremberg taught the world anything.

[leftstreet]

6. +1

[PADemD]

9. +1000

[gopiscrap]

10. Yes but the war criminals and banksters are the

same ones who fill the politicians campaigns coffers so we know that won't happen.

[indepat]

12. And wonder if any of the war criminals or banksters will profit by yet another war?

[gopiscrap]

13. of course they do

Last edited Sat Aug 31, 2013, 08:29 PM - Edit history (1)

that's why you're going to hear a non stop drum beat for war.

[DearAbby]

23. And this argument should be heard

within the halls of congress. How many wars in the 20th century were over lies, up to the war in Iraq. We can not claim the moral high ground as we ourselves harbor war criminals.

[gopiscrap]

24. Yup I agree with you!

[Ghost Dog]

22. There is international law

also that Americans really ought to take more seriously into account, no?

[Skittles]

35. they're not gonna bite the hands that feed them

[JohnnyLib2]

7. Wow. Where has he left Kerry?

[bahrbearian]

21. Next to Howard Dean, all used up. Now let's appoint some repugs to the Cabinet.

[MH1]

26. Meh. Moving on to the next thing.

Kerry was sent out to make a case, and he did, but it always was up to Congress to authorize any action. (Ok, always should have been up to Congress).

Kerry will be fine. I'd say a more apt question is where does it leave the world?

(and no, I don't believe that any unilateral or mostly unilateral action on the part of the US would be a good idea. Unless we can miraculously sneak a SEAL team in there to sprinkle fairy dust on the chemical weapons and make them harmless).

[karynnj]

36. Kerry will be on all 5 talks shows tomorrow - for Obama

Obviously, Obama was impressed with his speeches on Syria representing the administration position. Had Obama been unhappy with the first, there were others he could have asked to do the more recent one.

Kerry's speech is STILL the basis for Obama's resolution that they want Congress to pass - and by all accounts, Kerry was very audible in interacting with Congress people on the phone call Thursday.

In addition, remember - Kerry was one of the people who sought a resolution on Libya - where Obama himself did not think one was needed. A spokesperson said that he had no problems with going to Congress - and I would expect that he will likely be the witness for several committees.

[Blue_Tires]

11. It's funny to watch msnbc and count how many times

The pundits mention "weakness" per minute of spoken word...that's how i know the president is doing the right thing

[proverbialwisdom]

19. +1

[iamthebandfanman]

29. its true unfortunately

no matter how much you dislike a news agency or what it reports :p

that is how some parts of the world will view it. that's just reality.

whats it matter tho ?

[proverbialwisdom]

32. Bull.

http://www.businessinsider.com/justin-amash-military-no-syria-2013-8

GOP CONGRESSMAN: Military Members Keep Telling Me To Vote No On Syria
PAUL SZOLDRA AUG. 31, 2013, 7:29 PM

https://twitter.com/repjustinamash/status/373932995457318912

Since Amash's initial tweet, he's been retweeting comments that have been sent in from military members and veterans. Many of my own military sources have expressed reservations with action in Syria, especially following service in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Here's a sampling:

<>

[bahrbearian]

14. Chuck Todd is not a reputable reporter neither is NBC a reputable New's Source

[WillyT]

15. I Hear Ya... But... Sometimes A Story Is Offered And One Wants Others To Give Their Analysis...

Not promoting the story, as much as I'm asking, "What do you guys think about this?"

[bahrbearian]

17. I think the Host should have the Option to lock NBC and NY Times Threads, they are not reliable.

That's how we got to this War Footing.

[MNBrewer]

18. NBC is a war profiteer.

[bahrbearian]

20. Thats Parent company dosen't pay any taxes for war.

[Rebl]

25. Can't stand

Todd or Gregory. Todd needs to drag his sorry ass over to faux news where he belongs and take Gregory with him.

[jakeXT]

47. Reuters:Obama's Syria decision: a walk, a debate, and a new approach

...

The decision surprised his own advisers, who had not proposed voluntarily seeking lawmaker approval and had concluded Obama had the legal authority to take action on his own. But Obama felt it would be more consistent with his desire, stated earlier this year, to take America off of a "perpetual wartime footing" by getting the backing of Congress and the citizens it represents.

After his walk with McDonough, the president called National Security Adviser Susan Rice, her deputy Tony Blinken, senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer, and others into the Oval Office to announce his approach.

They had a vigorous debate that lasted two hours, senior administration officials said. The biggest risk to Obama's new plan: Congress, like the British parliament, would vote no. That would cast serious doubts on Obama's ability to lead in the Middle East where he is already under fire for what critics call a muddled response to the Egyptian military coup.

The benefits outweighed that risk for Obama, who believed lawmakers would be compelled to vote for a measure that would protect U.S. allies Israel and Jordan.

...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/01/us-syria-crisis-obama-decision-idUSBRE98001520130901

[TwilightGardener]

16. I would like to know exactly which of his advisors told him to go forward without Congress.

Because they were steering him wrong.

[libdem4life]

27. Stunning that the American President is held in check, ultimately, by UK commoners.

If you're Kerry, that's got to smart and says even more about the bobbleheads in the US Congress. The quotes "lively debate" and "reflecting the views of the British people" are hopefully instructive, for the American Congress in the future. Not, however, holding my breath.

[karynnj]

37. Kerry "has no problems" with going to Congress

It was (and is) the Obama position that he does not need approval - something he said as he asked for the vote.

Kerry was a Senator for 28 years.

[libdem4life]

38. Going to Congress is different from making an international statement...it doesn't cut both ways,

they can't have it both ways. He was rebuffed on an international basis...as he should have been.

[karynnj]

40. It was a foregone conclusion that the UN would not back it

China and Russia were NEVER going to vote for it.

Actually the Russians claiming there was NO chemical attack -- and if there were it was the rebels. They are the ones that likely lose some credibility.

I think the international reaction is not a rejection of Kerry's laying out the US case that Assad used chemical weapons. It IS a rejection of his view that the world needs to react to that.

[libdem4life]

44. That seems true and is even more depressing.

[Faryn Balyncd]

28. Friday night!

[dflprincess]

30. While the British Parliament may reflect the views of the British people

Obama doesn't really have to worry that Congress will reflect anything but the views of the MIC. But now he can look like he's going through the motions.

[polichick]

31. That's the truth - nobody represents the people in the U.S.A.

[proverbialwisdom]

34. Associated photo.

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/31/20273128-the-white-house-walk-and-talk-that-changed-obamas-mind-on-syria?lite

[img][/img]
White House
President Barack Obama meets with his national security advisers in the White House Situation Room on Saturday to discuss strategy in Syria.
Chief of Staff Denis McDonough is fourth from right.

[libdem4life]

39. They all have on white shirts. One woman and one person of color. Out of 12...Just an observation

[senseandsensibility]

42. Well, there's two people of color actually.

Not that I'm okay with any of this.

[libdem4life]

43. Was that counting our President? I was just looking down the table and it seemed only Holder

qualified. Even only two is appalling, however.

[senseandsensibility]

46. Yeah I was counting the President.

I can see the back of his head and he is the most powerful one in the group. But you're right. Two is not enough, and the number of women is appalling.

[Hulk]

41. In TOTAL agreement.

Last edited Sun Sep 1, 2013, 12:15 AM - Edit history (1)

I get so tired of reading posts from "the bandwagon choir" on these threads. I guess some folks just have a hard time accepting that President Obama can be a mortal human being.
I'm glad he is going to throw this out there to Congress. I'm damn glad in fact.
First of all, it's a "no win situation". Damned if he does something, damned if he doesn't. Personally, I don't want him to do anything. But even his own party are divided, and some are even trashing him...if he does or doesn't; but the reich wingers' heads are exploding over this. "He's a coward, he's weak, he's indecisive", etc.
Smart move. Let THEM debate it. Let them expose how they want to deal with it. Then THEY can be accountable and on record.
It buys more time before he does something we'll ALL regret.
Abbas is on notice. France may do the "dumb thing" first. Maybe not; but it gives all the bitchers and belly-achers a chance to blow their steam. They are going to condemn Obama no matter what he does.
Is gassing 1,429 people so much worse than blowing them up, or shooting them to death? Worse than dropping incindiary bombs on them?
Hell, we dropped atomic bombs on major cities FULL of civilians. We dropped napalm on villages with civilians. I see little difference. It's ALL horrific.
The bottom line is, he hasn't done anything but "warn" yet. We have pulled out of one war. We're pulling out of the other; and we haven't started a new one ...yet. If Willard had won, we'd still be in Iraq, and we most possibly have a war with Iran by now, and boots on the ground in Egypt, Lybia and now, Syria.
Oh yea of so little faith. With supporters like you, who needs enemies?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

45. "an allied strike against Syria"

As in "allies" from WWII?
"Allies" against the "Middle East" from 9/11?
The Ferengi Alliance?

[Jasana]

48. Now if he asks us and the people can get the Congress to say HELL NO...

as they should, will he listen? I surely hope so. Can we get Congress to listen to us? That's a million dollar question.

[Little Star]

49. k&r